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While the national unemployment rate paints a grim picture, a look at individual states and their so-called real jobless rates becomes even more troubling.

The government's most widely publicized unemployment rate measures only those who are out of a job and currently looking for work. It does not count discouraged potential employees who have quit looking, nor those who are underemployed — wanting to work full-time but forced to work part-time.

For that count, the government releases a separate number called the "U-6," which provides a more complete tally of how many people really are out of work.

The numbers in some cases are startling.

Consider: Nevada's U-6 rate is 22.1 percent, up from just 7.6 percent in 2007. Economically troubled California has a 20.3 percent real rate, while Rhode Island is at 18.3 percent, more than double its 8.3 percent rate in 2007.

Those numbers compare especially unfavorably to the national rate, high in itself at 14.9 percent though off its record peak of 17.2 percent in October 2009.

Only three states — Nebraska (9.1 percent), South Dakota (8.6 percent) and North Dakota (6.1 percent) — have U-6 rates under 10 percent, according to research from RBC Capital Markets.

Election battleground states paint a picture not much more flattering. Florida's U-6 number is an ugly 17 percent, though Pennsylvania and Ohio are both around 14 percent, below the national U-6 average.

I am hearing pre-reports that the unemployment rate is at 8.3% now. It went up .1% from last month. I find that funny, mostly because obama claims that his policies are working, and the private sector is doing fine. It is government employment that is hurting. Didn't he just hire over 200,000 IRS agents to over see the obamacare payments? He is a such a douchebag...

I am hearing pre-reports that the unemployment rate is at 8.3% now. It went up .1% from last month. I find that funny, mostly because obama claims that his policies are working, and the private sector is doing fine. It is government employment that is hurting. Didn't he just hire over 200,000 IRS agents to over see the obamacare payments? He is a such a douchebag...

They (the government) have trained us to look at the unemployment figures and look no further. The press, I think does only a mediocre job of looking further, and usually only hints that, "Well, it could be actually higher"..

I like this chart. In a country now with about 311 million people, a guess would be that 150 million jobs are needed. But, really, all you can do is make an educated guess. Some families are large, some small, some need two jobs; some one; some, no job at all.

In 2000, there were 275 million people and 132 million jobs, and that year things were pretty good, so that's where my 150 million figure comes from for 311 million people.

The bottom line is, we are 18 million jobs shortof making the country re-enter the land of annual pay raises and spare cash for the majority.
They would rather you did not realize that.

They (the government) have trained us to look at the unemployment figures and look no further. The press, I think does only a mediocre job of looking further, and usually only hints that, "Well, it could be actually higher"..

I like this chart. In a country now with about 311 million people, a guess would be that 150 million jobs are needed. But, really, all you can do is make an educated guess. Some families are large, some small, some need two jobs; some one; some, no job at all.

In 2000, there were 275 million people and 132 million jobs, and that year things were pretty good, so that's where my 150 million figure comes from for 311 million people.

The bottom line is, we are 18 million jobs shortof making the country re-enter the land of annual pay raises and spare cash for the majority.
They would rather you did not realize that.

Yeah, when you add the people who gave up looking for work, or used up their 99 weeks of unemployment. It is higher than 8.3%. That is the only way it went down from 9%. All the people who stopped looking.

I been saying for months that they need to show the 'TRUE' unemployment rate. And not this fudged number BS.

I am hearing pre-reports that the unemployment rate is at 8.3% now. It went up .1% from last month. I find that funny, mostly because obama claims that his policies are working, and the private sector is doing fine. It is government employment that is hurting. Didn't he just hire over 200,000 IRS agents to over see the obamacare payments? He is a such a douchebag...